


Just a Bad Dream

by Jastra



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Family, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Manipulation, Mentions of Chara, Post-Pacifist Route, Reader Insert - Character - Freeform, Spoilers - Pacifist Route, Time Loop, Undefined gender, little bit of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-04-29 03:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5114051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jastra/pseuds/Jastra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You wake up in the middle of the night to the howling wind outside, plagued by unexplained nightmares about killing everyone.</p><p>You can't help but look for comfort and reassurance from Sans who is battling his own demons in his dreams. Unable to tell the time lines apart from one another, he ends up hurting you. Fear, doubt and confusion enter your mind and all you can think of is getting away from him, even if it meant dashing outside into the cold winter night.</p><p>With the seed of doubt planted in your mind, a certain flower tries to manipulate you to restart the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just a nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! First time writing a story in this form, so please be merciful and give me advice :D I seriously need a beta reader for my Undertale stories, the style is so different from what I normally write. Based on fanart I saw on Tumblr. I'm sure there are tons of stories like this but I just couldn't resist the urge to write something similar.

You wake up in the middle of the night to the howling wind that roared outside. It slammed against the glass like an animal and you could see snow flakes rush past the window in the moon light. Your body was covered in cold sweat due to the horrible nightmare that slowly started to fade away from your mind the moment you woke up.

It was eerily quiet and calm inside Sans' and Papyrus' house. The bed and the blankets around you were warm and cosy, giving you a comforting feeling as the nightmare loosened its grip on your mind and body. It had to be the early hours of the morning, otherwise Papyrus would be pestering you or making some noise with his antics.

Your decision to stay in the Underworld had shocked the king who had been touched by your mercy. You just couldn't bring yourself to hurt anyone, and if your freedom meant that someone had to die, you rather stayed trapped.

It had been hard for you too, but to be honest the Underground world felt more like home than the surface had ever had. And how could you leave your friends? The time would come when all of you would be free, but for now...you had found a new home with two skeleton brothers in the Snowdin village. It was really perfect. You were close to all of your dear friends.

The former queen has wished for you to live with her, but when the skeleton brothers had made an offer for you to stay with them, the decision to move in with the two had felt the most natural.

Toriel had been saddened by your choice, but, she couldn't really blame you after refusing to let you leave and not supporting you. You had felt that this was for the best. Besides, Papyrus was clearly overjoyed to have you there, vowing to train you like Undyne had trained him and Sans was always watching you and seemed to understand you better than the others.

Life was calm, well as calm as possible with Papyrus, but at times, horrible and paralyzing nightmares plagued you. Like tonight.

You didn't know what it meant, but in the dream, your hands had been covered in blood and you had killed everyone you loved and cared about. Tonight, it had been unusually vivid and real, making you wake up with pounding heart.

You had attempted to kill Sans who in the end had impaled you with bones, making you wake up from the dream. It had been really scary and you couldn't tear Sans' expression in the dream from your mind. His eye had been glowing and he had taken pleasure in your pain, wanting to end your miserable little life, but you had also thirsted for his blood, wanting to stab him with the sharp knife and see the life leave his skeletal body.

You were old enough to know that dreams weren't real, but still...you had the terrible need to make sure that Sans was still there, sleeping peacefully in his own bed. You sneak out of the warm and cosy bed and tiptoe over to the door, pushing it open quietly. With few quiet steps, you enter the living room to seek comfort and reassurance from someone in the quiet and dark house.

You ascend up the stairs and take a quick peek into Papyrus' room only to see that the tall skeleton's bed was empty. Apparently the young undead was out training again, or perhaps hunting for new friends.

You hesitate a bit before venturing forth towards older brother's room. You push the door open and look inside the dark, almost pitch black room. To your relief, the short and stout skeleton was sleeping in his bed and the room was pretty messy as usual. Maybe you could help him clean it up in the morning.

You walk over to Sans' bed and look at him curiously. You felt relieved and happy to see that he was still there and ok.

You take a deep breath and poke the sleeping skeleton a bit, trying to wake him up and get his attention, but Sans just turned onto his other side. What surprised you, was that he was thrashing slightly on the bed and in his sleep. Was your friend seeing a nightmare?

 _'I better wake him up from a bad dream.'_   You think and reach out to touch him.

"Sans..I." you start as your small hand touches his arm gently, wanting to wake the short skeleton up and tell him about the dream you were having.

The skeleton trashed and turned in his restless sleep, but the moment your fingers contacted with his arm, Sans' eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up, covered in sweat. You opened your mouth to say something to the short skeleton, but the words died on your lips when your friend fixated his pitch black eyes onto you.

For some reason, you feel startled and a bit fearful..the lack of expression on the skeleton's face was unnerving and somehow familiar.

"Sans?" you ask quietly and gasp slightly, taking few fearful steps backwards when his other eye starts glowing with blue magical fire.

This was bad and you knew it. It would be best if you left...quickly.

With scared look on your face you try dashing at the door, but before you could take a single step, you felt how your feet lifted off the ground. When you turn your head to look back at the skeleton, you see how San's hand is glowing with blue aura and on his face he has a shocked and startled expression. It was almost as if he had seen someone else.

"Sans!" You yell, but it was too late. The skeleton swung his arm and sent you flying across the room and painfully against the wall. Your frail and small body hit the painted wall hard and you could feel air blow out of your lungs. The surprised yelp of pain quickly dies when you fall down onto the floor, gasping and coughing.

 _'It hurts.._.. _Why?_ ' You think as you hold your side and get onto your knees, whimpering a bit. Why did Sans do this to you? Weren't you two friends? Had you done something to anger him? Sans was never as open as Papyrus and kept his distance, but it felt like you two really understood each other on so many levels.

You trusted him. But it didn't seem like he trusted you, and that hurt you the most.

The pained whimper you let out seemed to make the skeleton snap out of his strange condition and his eyes turned back to normal with the familiar spots.

"Frisk?" The skeleton asks unsurely and in confusion, not sure what had happened. The previously sleepy and startled Sans was now fully awake and aware of the situation. He quickly got off the bed and looked first at his hand and then at you, realizing what he had done.

Your small body shivered in fear and you couldn't help but wonder if the skeleton wanted to hurt you again. You felt confused and worried as you got onto your feet. Sans approached you, trying to calm you down.

"Hey, kid. I didn't mean to.." He starts, calming down a bit "You just startled me, I had no intentions of hurting  ** _you_.** Come here...pal" he finishes offering to comfort you in a familiar manner.

However, for some reason those words are like a trigger to you, making you panic. You couldn't quite put your finger on what it was, but you felt threatened, as if the short and stout undead was after your life. It didn't feel logical, but you had the urge to run, as if he was someone you could never defeat even if you wanted to.

"No! Stay away from me!" You yell in fear and get onto your small feet, trying to run. However when Sans sees your panic, he lunges forward to grab your arm to prevent you from escaping.

"Calm down, I'm sorry." The skeleton tried to prevent you from going, but you wriggle like a wild animal and get out of his hold, dashing out of the room and down the stairs towards the front door, not daring to look back if the skeleton followed you or not.

You had to get out and sort out your thoughts

* * *

"Kiddo, wait." Sans started and tried to grab you again before you dashed out of the room, but all he caught was thin air. "Damn it." the stout skeleton muttered, looking around for a moment before taking his jacket from the nearby chair. What he had done was unforgivable.

 _'Why can't I keep it together, this is the perfect timeline.'_ Sans thought bitterly, feeling like he'd need another reset if this continued.

He had hurt Frisk only because he had seen Chara. He knew that the kid wouldn't want to see him after doing this, but if he let the panicked child run, he wouldn't forgive himself. Frisk would freeze to death outside.

The kid had no memories of the bad runs with Chara had taken control, and he'd prefer keeping it that way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmh...one more chapter. I need to keep this short because this is so challenging to me. I kinda want to throw Flowey in there too.

Your mind was in turmoil as you ran through the heavy snow storm in the middle of the night, the wind battering against your small body as you tried to force through the thick snow that hindered your movements. At times it felt as if the wind could blow you away, but you just grit your teeth in sorrow and pressed on, wanting to sort out your thoughts.

_'Why did Sans do that? What did I do wrong?'_  You think angrily as you recall how the skeleton had used his gravity attack to throw you against the wall just moments ago even though you had tried to retreat and give him some room. Your back and sides still ached, but you did your best to push the pain from your mind.

The Snowdin village was empty at this hour and none of the windows had any lights in them. All the residents were probably sleeping peacefully. You dashed past the hotel and the shop into the wilderness, crossing the creaky wooden bridge as fast as you could while wiping away the tears that formed in your eyes. They mixed with the melting snow flakes that landed gently on your face. It started to get hard to see where you were going.

The way Sans had acted and talked to you had felt so familiar and horrible at the same time. The gentle and playful tone he had used, sent shivers down your spine. You didn't understand any of it. Yet, for some reason you felt as if there was something you couldn't remember that was tied to all this. Perhaps, if you only tried hard enough, you might recall what it was. But trying to remember something that was locked in the depths of your mind and soul caused you pain.

You had tried so hard and restarted the world many times to reach this happy end so that no one needed to get hurt. You were content with the choices you had made, weren't you? You might be still trapped in the underworld, but you were now among friends and family. However, at times like this you couldn't help but wonder if this really was your happy end.

_'What is wrong with him...'_  You think as you take steps forward in the cold snow, not realizing just how freezing it was. The adrenaline in your body made you ignore the biting wind and cold snow under your feet.

At first, you didn't know quite where you should go, but the ruins were in this direction. Perhaps Toriel knew what to do. She was like a new mom to you, always ready to listen to you and give advice in all sort of thing. Your trust with Toriel had grown over the past weeks and she did her best to teach you, clearly taking pride in how good teacher she was. It was really her dream job. Sans was always close by, watching you and helping you in any manner possible. You wanted to trust Sans as much as you did his brother and Toriel, but right now the short skeleton only succeeded in scaring and hurting you.

"Frisk! Wait!" You hear Sans' voice behind you in the darkness. He clearly wanted to catch up to you. But you had no intentions of stopping, you didn't dare to. You were overwhelmed by panic, guilt and confusion, not wanting to confront Sans about what had happened.

_"Leave me alone.."_  You whisper in fear as you make it to the frozen lake, its surface covered with powdery and light snow that hid the slippery surface beneath it. In your mind you had done something wrong to deserve all this.

"Listen to me, you'll freeze to death here, Frisk. Lets just go back. Everything will be alright." Sans yells and you can already hear his foot steps behind you, getting closer. He was running after you and trying to prevent you from getting any fruther. With pounding heart you decided to take a quick look over your shoulder, but didn't see anything in the utter darkness. You stumbled slightly. somehow managing to stay on your feet.

You keep moving forward, and decided not to stop until you had reached the ruins that were still so far away. The wind blew harshly once more and only now did you realize just how stiff and cold your body was getting. Moving around started to get harder and more exhausting, but you pressed on with sheer power of determination. You clothes started to get covered in snow, freezing your body even further.

Just when you were about to reach the end of the region, you took one bad step on the rocky and icy ground that made you lose your footing. You feel how your ankle twists hard and painfully into an unnatural position, making you lose your balance and hit the rough and frozen terrain beneath.

"Frisk!" Sans call your name when he hears your yelp of pain and terror. Biting your tongue to keep any following cries down. You try to get up from the ground, but your leg is busted and all you could do is stumble on the frozen surface. No matter what condition you were in, you kept trying to get further and towards the ruins.

"Nngh.." you whimper as you try making your way forward. Facing Sans was the last thing you wanted to do, but before you knew it, you felt a pair of arms wrap around your small form from behind, pulling you against a warm body that shielded you from the harsh wind.

"There, I caught you." Sans says and he tightens his hold onto you, making sure that you can't get away again. You panic and start thrashing wildly against the skeleton who fights to keep your wriggling little body in his hold.

"Let go of me!" You yell and try to break away, but Sans just holds onto you, making sure your arms pinned to your sides so that you can't have any leverage against him.

"I will let you go once you calm down, Frisk." Sans says calmly to you "You can go to the ruins in the morning when I'm sure you won't die from cold." the skeleton continues . "Listen kiddo, I'm really sorry for what I did back there, but you have to trust me and go back with me."

Finally, you start to run out of energy and strength as the combined force of Sans and the cold weather take toll on your body. You feel broken and scared, not wanting to hurt or upset Sans any further. Once again you had caused trouble and made others worry about you.

Your heart is racing and you start to hyperventilate. But no matter how much you try fighting, Sans manages to keep you in his hold and eventually you start to calm down, tears forming in your eyes. You felt miserable. First, you had upset Sans who had hurt you and then you had ran away into the snow storm, causing further worry to the skeleton who had pursued you and probably saved your life.

When you go limp in his hold, Sans lets out a sigh of relief.. "I'm sorry kiddo for hurting you. I must have scared you a lot." He apologizes and loosens his hold on you a bit. "You calm? Will you promise not to try and escape me if I let you go?" Sans continued and took your silences as a yes.

The skeleton finally lets you go and you fall onto the snowy ground, breathing heavily and swallowing slightly, only to wipe away your tears. Your friend kneels down next to you and takes off his jacket, placing it onto your shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Frisk. I didn't mean to hurt or scare you..you just startled me, ok? We good? I'm not angry with you or anything...just worried." The black eyed undead explains, wanting to hear that you didn't hate him. "I hope you aren't too mad with me."

You wipe away your tears and shake your head a bit and Sans gives you a small grin "Good, you really scared me too kiddo, running off like that into the storm."

"Heh, you'll freeze solid if you stay here any longer.."The skeleton murmurs and pats your back a bit. The fur lining of the hood tickles the back of your neck. The jacket is way too large for you, but it is warm.

Sans offers you his hand and you take it after a moment of hesitation. You then try to take few steps with your hurt leg, only to hiss in pain and fall. Thankfully, Sans manages to catch you before you hit the snowy ground once more.

"Here, let me carry you." your friend said, before picking your small body up, carrying it back towards the Snowdin town. "You had me really worried. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you."

You wrap the blue jacket tighter around you, feeling tired and cold. However, you can't help but think that you had done something wrong.

"Did I do something to anger you?" you ask quietly, wanting to believe Sans as you two made your way back to the village.

"No, I just had a really bad nightmare and reacted to it. Kinda like a reflex you know?" The skeleton tried explaining to you and you nod. " ** _You_** didn't do anything...someone else did and in my nightmare just carried over to the waking world." He continued with a sight, turning his black eyes to you. "I just want you to be happy with us. I screwed up."

"Frisk..lets not make Papyrus or Toriel worry about all this.."

"Ok."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, lame, but the best I can manage. Can't believe I actually finished something.  
> Edit: Damn it, failed with version control...so many typos!

Two figures moved through the snow covered terrain in the dark night with only light of the star like gems guiding them. If you didn't know it, you would have never guessed that you were underground. The place was so vast and and diverse that it felt like a large world with many moons and countless stars. You look up at the sky that was in fact the ceiling far, far above you. The underground world was so great and diverse that it would be large enough to live your whole life in, but still, realizing that the sky was in fact a ceiling, made you feel trapped. You sigh sadly and rest your small head against Sans' back as he gives you a piggyback ride back to the Snowind village. The warm jacket that was way too big on your shoulders felt comforting and kept you shielded from the wind the whole way back. .

"How are you holding, kiddo?" You hear Sans ask and you clutch slightly onto his shirt. He was clearly worried about your well being and probably wondered whether you hated him or not. You closed your eyes and let out a small "Mmmh.." as a reply. A sign that you were feeling ok for the moment.

"That's good to hear." Sans replied with a smile, trying to sound happy, but unbeknownst to you, his left eye was glowing a bit with blue light. The skeleton was clearly agitated by his own actions, wishing to turn back the time so that he would not have hurt you.

Papyrus was going to give him hell if he ever found out; and he certainly would. The taller one of the brothers was naive and overly friendly, but he was pretty good at sensing when his brother or you were unhappy. The two skeleton brothers were supposed to look after you and make you feel welcomed, and now he had managed to do this.

"Hey, Frisk...I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to Papyrus, not yet at least.. I don't want him to worry too much, you know?" Sans asked, hastening his steps and you tried to held onto his body more tightly. "I don't want things to get any worse."

"Ok." you murmur and shiver, the wind blew harshly against the two of you.

"Thanks Frisk, you know how he is..He cares about you a lot, as do I.." Sans mutters as the two of you cross the bridge to the Snowdin village, quickly making your way back to the house.'

Finally, the two of you reach the home of the skeleton brothers and Sans opens the door. You sigh in relief when the warmth of the house meets your body and you feel better right away. All you want to do is get into the bed beneath the warm and soft covers and drift back to sleep; and there was nothing better than waking up in the morning surrounded by warmth when it was absolutely freezing outside and knowing that you didn't have to get up early.

Sans let you down and places you gently on the sofa that was facing the television, leaving the jacket on your small body.

"There you go, kiddo. I'll get you something warm to drink and then I'll have to check that leg of yours." The black eyed skeleton said, his left eye having turned back to normal. The older brother gives you a long stare before grinning a bit, trying to brighten up the mood. You manage to let out a small protesting yell of "Hey!" when Sans pulls the fur lined hood over your head and pats it gently.

"You'll feel as good as new in the morning."

You nod slightly and wipe your eyes slightly into the shirt's sleeve. You had stopped crying, but your eyes were still sensitive and red. Papyrus had not returned yet and with Sans having disappeared into the kitchen to get you a cup of tea, you were left alone in the living room. You lift your small, wet feet off the floor and onto the sofa, hugging your knees a bit to warm up.

You wrap the blue jacket around you like a protective coat and can't help but go through the dream you had had. You still felt unsure and a bit scared, after all, in the nightmare you had killed everyone with Sans coming for you with burning blue eye and grin. What freaked you out the most was how the waking world had felt so similar to the dream when Sans had thrown your body against the wall.

Had you two been dreaming the same thing?

You loved Sans and his brother. The two were the first friends you made in the underground world and you could easily grow up here, surrounded by monsters. The idea of growing in the skeleton household didn't feel horrible or bad, but San's actions did make you wonder.

"You used sugar, right? Though you did brush earlier.." Sans muttered in the kitchen,but you choose to ignore him, lifting your head slightly when you saw some shadows move outside the window.

"Sans?" You asked a bit fearfully, but before the skeleton can come to you, the front door was almost bashed open and inside barges Papyrus and Undyne, both covered in snow. Apparently the two had been training vigorously.

Sans who came from the kitchen carrying a steaming hot cup of tea stares at the two slightly surprised and then turned his eyes to you for a moment , only to bring them back to his brother again. His left eye had started glowing again slightly blue from the stressful situation.

"Frisk? Up at this hour? Unacceptable! Small humans like you should be sleeping so that you grow up fast and tall." Papyrus almost yelled when he saw you sitting on the soda and Undyne grinned from behind him.

"Yeah. Else you end up like Sans, shooooort." The tall female laughed, but her laugh died quickly when the two saw what state you were in.

The two saw your startled look and red eyes, and before you know it Papyrus rushes to you, kneeling in front of the sofa and taking your hand into his.

"Human? What is wrong? What..your hands are cold. I, the great Papyrus demand to know what has happened to my favorite human." The tall skeleton demands and looks you into eyes with burning determination. You were pale, and it would be a wonder if you didn't end up catching the cold. Even Papyrus wasn't stupid enough not to realize you had been out in the freezing snow storm. You looked absolutely exhausted.

You give Sans a quick glance; the skeleton looked bothered and ashamed, holding the cup in his hands. The blue skinned woman walks past the shorter skeleton and sits down next you, crossing her legs elegantly.

Undyne places her hand on your shoulder and leans closer to you "Frisk, you tell me who did this to you! I'll destroy them with all I've got. " The warrior tells you and your eyes focus briefly on Sans again before turning back to Undyne. The female hero gives older brother a long stare with narrowed eyes, but first listens to what you had to say before making any conclusions.

"It was just a dream.." You try explaining calmly but Undyne starts seething in rage immediately.

"Then I'll destroy your dreams!" The long haired woman acclaims, ready to beat you up in the heat of the moment, but Papyrus shoos her a bit, wanting to be the one to comfort you.

"Just a dream? Human, I've never heard of a dream that causes someone to hurt themselves in the cold.".

You take a deep breath and try to look convincing, not wanting Sans to get in any trouble. He brings the cup to you and has the usual grin on his face, as if nothing had happened. You take the cup and sip the hot liquid. It warmed your body so comfortingly.

"I just...saw a really bad dream and wanted to see Toriel...I panicked and that's all." You murmurs, but the two don't look like they believe you fully. Undyne takes a quick look at your hurt leg and sighs.

"You should avoid walking completely for few days. Seriously, Frisk..What were you thinking?" the red haired woman snaps at you and you feel a bit teary eyed again, but manage to nod.

Papyrus panics and pats your head gently, ruffling your hair "Its ok, we aren't mad! Did Sans bring you back?" The taller skeleton asks curiously and you nod again.

The young brother sighs a bit, only to pull you into a hug that almost crushes your small body.

"Ok then, but don't do this again, if you feel scared or worried, just come see me ok? Don't just go running off into the wilderness like that. I don't want my favorite human to get killed." The eccentric skeleton goes on and on and you feel like you are suffocating. Undyne pulls you from the overprotective skeleton and sneers at him.

"Stop killing the human, Papyrus..maybe Frisk should stay with me, you two seem to be unable to care of a small little human, and besides, we are besties!"

"Says someone who burned her own house." Papyrus mutters back at Undyne and the two seem to be at it again, having a playful and friendly banter.

"I think Frisk needs some rest now, ok? Off to the bed with you kiddo." Sans suddenly says and steps in, waiting for you to drink your cup of tea. You quickly finish the drink, and before you have any time to protest, the short and stout skeleton picks you up and carries you to the recently built new bedroom that was on the lower floor. You can't help but notice the look of worry the two share as Sans carries you away. No doubt they'd ask him questions later.

The small bedroom is eerily quiet as you two walk inside, the door closing as soon as you have entered. The gems in the cavern ceiling cast shadows over your drawings that cover the wall, depicting the skeletons, Toriel, Undyne, Asgore, Mettaton and Alphys. It really feels like a home.

"Thank you Frisk." Sans whispers with a smile as he places you on the bed. He hesitates for a moment, only to grin and lets you have the jacket for the night, hoping that it would comfort you,

You look slightly miserable, unable to get Undyne's and Papyrus' worried looks from your mind.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

The short skeleton sighs heavily as you crawled beneath the blankets, letting the jacket remain on top of a pile of blankets. He scratches the back of his head all embarrassed and regretful.

"I care about you, a lot, Frisk. I just had a really bad night...seems like you did too, why else would you come to see me, right kiddo?" Sans tries giving you a grin and a wink, but you can see that he barely manages that. It was a miracle he had been able to hide his feelings with Undyne and Papyrus.

"I want you to feel safe with me and Papyrus and for you to be able to trust me, Frisk. I know how hard it must be to stay trapped with us, and I only managed to make things worse by reacting so strongly to a simple nightmare about someone who once hurt us all. But, they've gone and only you remain." Sans finishes quietly, his left eye starting to glow in anger. You can hear him whisper "I dont' want to start this all over again..."

"Its ok Sans, everyone gets scared. Looks like we both got tonight." You murmur and close your eyes. Sans' breathing gets slightly more heavy and you just know that he is feeling horrible.

"Maybe...maybe next time you see a nightmare, you could come tell me about it? I can listen." You add , getting more and more sleepy. For some reason, you could swore that Sans buried his face into his hands.

"Thanks kiddo. I'd really appreciate that." he replied in a trembling voice.

You sigh and get from beneath the covers one last time to give the skeleton a comforting hug. The older brother was clearly surprised by your action, but seemed to appreciates the gesture a lot. He hugs you back. To you, it felt like he was the one who really was scared.

"Thank you, Frisk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to continue this with 3 more chapters :D Flowey tries to manipulate Frisk to restart the world after what happened.

The ruins were one of the few places that was reached by the bright warming sun that the monsters as well as you longed for. After so many runs and tries, you had finally settled with this time line that wasn't perfect, but one you could be content with. Choosing to stay with the skeletons in the underground world, waiting for a day you all could escape the underground felt like the right choice, but at times you wondered whether you should give the world another go, even though it had many risks.

For one, you couldn't remember everything that had happened with clarity. At times it felt like some attempts were completely veiled in fog and trying to remember those caused you great distress and pain. In the end, you had stopped trying to remember.

Some things stayed constants, like the world and the creatures, but the way the others reacted to you varied and this world where you could live peacefully among the monsters felt like a miracle. In this time line, you had managed to make a lot of friends and against all odds, Toriel had come for your aid, making Asgore lay down his weapons and admit his mistakes.

 _'I'm happy._ ' You think as you take a small gardening knife and cut few flowers and grasses on the small patch, tending to it. You had ventured deep into the ruins to gather flowers for Toriel, it was the place where you had fallen.

But, no matter many times you repeated that thought in your mind and tried to focus on positives, the events of that one night a week ago still haunted you. You wanted to trust Sans, you really did, and he had done his all to apologize to you, but getting trust back after something like that was hard and would require time. For now, you had found yourself wanting some privacy for a chance to explore your feelings and sort out your thoughts.

You sigh lightly on the yellow flower bed, feeling the soft grass and flowers with your hand. They remind you of the surface world. The sharp knife Toriel had given you cuts easily through the plants and as soon you've done with your work. You lie down on the ground and look up at the ceiling of the ruins, wishing to reach the light, but you strongly felt like this was the best you could do.

 _'Why ruin this? I've made friends and Asgore doesn't want me dead anymore. Only one more soul from some bad person and we'll be free."_  You think, closing your eyes for a moment to enjoy the warmth of the light.

"Gosh, if it isn't my very best friend." You hear a familiar voice nearby and turn your head quickly to see none other than Flowey sprout from the ground near you.

You blink few times and lift your head a bit, eyeing the strange flower in surprise. You hadn't seen him since the beginning of your journey, though you have a feeling that somehow you had seen him as something else, but you just couldn't remember.

"What do you want, Flowey?" You ask quietly and suspiciously, feeling somewhat nervous when the malicious flower just winks at you and sticks his tongue out a bit.

"I just dropped by to see my best friend. I'm sure you don't mind poor old me hanging around a bit? After all, We haven't met in a very long time." Flowey says all pleasantly as if you two were on good terms. You didn't really hate Flowey even though you didn't trust him. Perhaps he had just been quick to judge you like everyone else in the underground world. The flower had not been the only one wanting you dead.

You sit up and shoot the flower a suspicious and doubtful glance "You tried to kill me, you know. Can't blame me for being a little bit suspicious."

The flower just laughed all innocently "Come now, everyone wanted you dead..still might." He said with a wide smirk " Golly, I was merely messing with ya. Just a practical joke to greet you. Surely there doesn't need to be hostility between us here, Frisk. We are all stuck here now together."

"Whatever." You mutter and start working again. Flowey had some good points there, but still, he made your skin crawl.

"Of course of course, I might have been a bit too harsh with you. You've made all the monsters your friends even though they tried to kill you first, surely we can become friends as well?" the flower continued all pleasantly, but something in him rubbed you off the wrong way.

"I guess so, just don't try anything, Flowey." You mutter unsurely and show the knife just in case ,but the flower just winks at you, knowing that you wouldn't use it no matter what.

You continue cutting the flowers for Toriel, trying to somewhat keep your distance with Flowey who followed your every movement with smirk on his face, swaying a bit.

"Are you satisfied with this? Are you content with this world?" The soulless flower asks, trying to hide the malice in his voice. You quickly look at the flower and you feel yourself tremble.

Flowey chuckles all amused "Don't forget, you took that power from me, Frisk. Your determination is stronger than mine. You have the power to restart all of this if you wish it." the flower continues. "That is, if you aren't satisfied with this one."

You frown angrily, what was Flowey after?

"Why would I do that? I've made friends and no one wants to kill me anymore. I'm happy living with Papyrus and Sans until the day we all freed." You mutter, frustrated by the flower's words and continue your works, moving slightly away from the flower who wants your undivided attention. You couldn't deny that the thought of trying again had not crossed your mind more than once.

Flowey retreat into the ground only to appear next to you again, clearly showing you that you couldn't get away from him..

"Gosh, are you now? A little bird told me something interesting...that skeleton, Sans, attacked you during one night, right? Made you flee into the cold winter storm, almost killing you."

You feel nervous and unsure, your eyes fixating on the talking yellow flower. You were pretty sure only Sans, Papyrus and probably Undyne knew about it. Sans had most like told them once you had been sleeping since the two had been somewhat cold towards the short skeleton for the next few days. Papyrus had been obsessed with making you feel comfortable living with them. One time, the tall skeleton had gotten all panicked when you had told about going to Toriel's place for the day, begging his favorite little human not to leave them.

"Who told you about that?" You ask all neutrally and casually, not wanting to show the flower that you didn't like him knowing.

"Oh, just a tall, dimwitted bag of bones." Flowey replies with an innocent wink.

 _'Papyrus..'_  You think sadly and try ignoring the flower. You recall Sans telling you about his brother talking to a flower. It was clear now that it was Flowey.

The flower snickers a bit and sighs all innocently "Gosh, makes you wonder though?"

You hold the dagger in your hand and somehow, your grip on it tightens without your notice. You didn't want to listen to what the flower had to say.

"About what?" You ask surprisingly coldly.

"That perhaps you should restart. If this behavior continues, he might even kill you. I certainly wouldn't want to live in a world where someone close to you might just attack you without notice..but then again, you can just load..." Flowey says all carelessly but the grins "so that he can kill you over and over again with you trying to get him to stop..now, that would be interesting."

You feel angry and turn at the flower, huffing and trying to calm your nerves "Sans wouldn't do that! It was a mistake he made, he said it himself. He just had a really bad nightmare."

The flower laughs in that disturbing way that sends chills down your spine, grinning so widely that his eyes were just narrow slits "And why do you think that is? Perhaps he did want to hurt you...someone you had been.

**_You . just . can't . remember . it"_ **

You feel your head starting to hurt, as if Flowey's words caused something inside you stir, blocked and forgotten memories rising into your mind..

"What do you mean?" You ask. You knew that you didn't retain all memories when you chose to restart and some unlocked over time as you met your friends and other monsters. But, Flowey was talking about something you had no memory of.

"If I were you. I'd just restart and try getting a better ending...one where you don't have to fear for your life. Besides, this isn't interesting. Its boring as hell, seeing you live happy life with those brothers. Makes me want to kill them all."

Your breathing gets frantic and your headache intensifies. You had been right about Flowey all along. There was nothing good in him.

"Who knows, maybe you'll find yourself getting impaled by bones the next time you startle him." The flower finished and suddenly you get a flash of a feeling that something like that had already happened.

"Shut up!" you yell angrily and for the first time you try hurting a monster. You pick up a single rock and hurl it at the flower who just evades it by retreating into the ground and emerging again, laughing at you as if you were the biggest idiot in the world.

You don't have to listen to this. You get up, gather the flowers and walk away.

* * *

 

Little did you know, Sans had been watching the talk between you two from the shadows and he stared at the flower, his left eye glowing in agitation. He'd not let that horrible flower plant a seed of doubt and fear into your mind that would eventually bloom and make you restart. This world was perfect, and he didn't want it to be removed.

The flower notices Sans and gives him a wink and a smirk before disappearing back into the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I was thinking about adding more chapters, but I feel like this is suitable end. Its neither good or bad for Frisk, things will just go on.

Small foot steps echoed in the ruins as you stroll back towards Toriel's home, holding the gardening knife and the flowers you had gathered in your arms. You try and watch your step, afraid that you'd accidentally crush the freshly cut plants because your mind was still in turmoil over the conversation with Flowey. You had a strong feeling that you were really starting to dislike the small talking flower.

His poisonous words had really hurt you and made you doubt yourself and Sans.

 _'What if it does happen again and one night Sans loses control over himself, attacking me. What if he kills me?"_  You pondered, trembling a bit as you recall the startled and fearful expression the skeleton had in his eyes when you had woken him. Of course, if such a thing came to pass, you could always reload your life and and try avoiding that event, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen again.

 _'I don't want to live in a world where I have to be afraid of my friends.'_  You think sadly. Sans had told you many times, that it was not your fault in any way but...Flowey's words suggested otherwise and you couldn't get his sinister voice out of your head.

_**"You . just . can't . remember . it"** _

_'Have I done something bad that I just can't recall?"_

The idea kept tormenting you and refused to let go of your mind.

' _T_ _hat doesn't make any sense... Sure I can't remember everything, but...'_  You reason and stop for a moment to consider the possibilities.

You were sick of restarts and living the same events over and over again. You had cherished each moment with the brothers, Undyne and Alphys, and had enjoyed experiencing them again and again, but eventually, you had just wanted to experience new moments with them and live together peacefully. The constant restarts had been draining experience both physically and mentally, but eventually you had managed to create a world with your actions where you could live peacefully among the monsters as their friend.

"Wonder when I last saved? A week ago?" You try to recall, but can't. Saving had lost its appeal. What was the point of living each day on repeat just to get them right? No one was after your life anymore.

Constant saving had its problems too. Certain actions had unforeseeable results and you had found out that when you saved over your previous save, you often could no longer go back and fix the problem at its root. You just had to cope with the situation and live with the mistake.

Still, you feared hurting others and that your actions would make someone unhappy or sad. If something irreversible happened..something even a load couldn't fix because you had saved past the point of repairing the mistake, then a restart would be the only answer.

You look at the flowers you are holding, their soft scent reminding you of the surface world, your home. Some days you missed it so much, the feeling of basking in the sun and having the gentle summer breeze caress your small body. Most of all, you missed the stars and moon as well as the clear cycle of day and night.

This was supposed to be a world where you were safe and content, a world where you were happy. But, as the weeks and months passed, you had started to feel guilty and sad. You knew that the monsters cared about you and loved you, but it didn't change the fact that they would only need your life in order to get out.

"I don't feel happy right now." You whisper sadly, feeling tears forming in your eyes as you think of Sans and Flowey, not sure who you could trust.

_"Guess there is no happy and perfect ending for me."_

Flowey had been the first monster you had met and had probably made the biggest impact on you, making you fear monsters from the start, but you had quickly realized that they all were nice and kind. They were all humane, and had their own hopes, dreams and fears.

You were sometimes quick tempered and over excited, acting before you thought about the consequences.

"I don't want to be hated." You murmur our loud, fearing that you'd do something to unintentionally hurt someone and cause them to hate you. Then you'd feel even more guilty about living as a constant reminder of a freedom that was so close to their grasp.

You sigh and continue walking towards Toriel's home, not wishing the flowers to wilt from the lack of water. They were beautiful, fragile...like you. You had never really cared for flowers, even less so now that you had met Flowey, but you hoped that they'd bring Toriel some joy. Your mood had been ruined by the malicious little monster.

 _'That stupid Flowey..Sans didn't mean to hurt me on purpose, I'm sure of it."_  you breath angrily, kicking few rocks that happen to be in your way. But, in the back of your mind, you can't help but doubt yourself. There were holes in your memory and you couldn't shake the feeling that you had done something bad and you just couldn't remember what it was. Sans had attacked you for some reason. He had said that he had thought you to be someone else, but according to Flowey, it might have been you in some other timeline. You didn't like the idea, not one bit.

You felt like something between you and Sans had been irreversibly changed. The encounter with him that night made you feel like you could almost remember something you had forgotten, something really bad. If you tried to focus just a little more, you might be able to grasp those memories that escaped you. But you feared that if you did remember something, you wouldn't like it. It was better to just let them remain forgotten.

_'I wouldn't hurt anyone. Ever.'_

As you walk around a corner, you run into a froggit who hops quickly out of your way, having been surprised by you. It croaks a warm greetings to you, but quickly lowers its head and hops away when you shoot an annoyed glance at it, still agitated by what that flower had told you.

However, you quickly realize what you had done and look apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I just..." You start, but the monster just waves slightly and leaves you alone, clearly not wanting to meet a wrath of a human.

 _'I hurt someone again. Figures..'_  You think sadly and feel your eyes getting slightly moist, only, wiping them dry so that Toriel wouldn't get worried. You try and recall when you had last saved...it was so long time ago. Maybe you should do so again soon. But you would still have hurt the froggit. Only time and positive actions could fix that.

You stop and look after the monster who had been scared by you.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." You mutter sadly. At moments like these, you just wanted to go home, but doing so would hurt a monster. You'd have to take a soul. They all tried to make you feel like this underground world could really be your home, and for a while you had thought so, but now you weren't so sure anymore.

' _Causing trouble again. I should keep my distance from that flower.'_  you ponder sadly and slow your steps a bit, trying to look more calm and collected so that you wouldn't scare other monsters.

* * *

Sans watched you from shadows as you walked through the ruins, making sure you'd get back to Toriel's place safe and sound after observing your little conversation with the flower. The knowledge of your ability to save and load as well as restart the world had take a toll on his mind. It was maddening knowing that one day it might all just restart without a warning.

After numerous runs, he had started to recall some of the worlds you all had experienced together. However, the fact that no one else seemed to remember them made Sans suspect that his initial knowledge of the time lines had something to do with it. But, his memories and knowledge were lacking and sometimes the timelines just mashed together.

 _'Don't remove this world, Frisk. It might not be perfect, but everyone is happy.'_  Sans thought as he leaned against a stone wall in the shadows, watching you wipe away your tears after snapping at the froggit. He wanted to just swoop in and hug you, to take away the feelings of doubt and frustration, but he didn't want you to think he was stalking you.

 _'Living with the mistakes you make is not easy, I should know.'_ Sans thinks bitterly, knowing that if he had your power, he'd certainly load so that he wouldn't have hurt you.

The short skeleton had hoped that he wouldn't have to worry about restarts anymore, but knowing you... another one was still possible, especially after what he had done.

"Why did I have to have that stupid nightmare. Frisk is not Chara, there is no indication that the damned kid has any control over Frisk." Sans hissed at himself, pulling the hood over his head so that a shadow was cast over his skeletal face. The undead man kept his hands inside the pockets of his jacket as he moved through the shadows, teleporting from point to point without you realizing that he was watching you.

Seeing that strange flower talk to you about how he would kill you eventually had alarmed him. If that odd creature tried to manipulate you to restart the world, he'd have to do something about it. he wanted you to be happy and content living with them, so that they would never have to forget you again. No one wanted that.

However, the nightmares about the worst possible outcomes still haunted him and at nights he'd wake up covered in sweat, ready to kill anyone who tried to attack him, Chara's laughter still echoing in his mind. The worst thing was that despite the kid's personality being completely different, they looked exactly the same. The attack had been a mistake and since then, Sans had managed to keep himself together a bit better, reminding himself how much you and Papyrus meant to him.

He'd have to live with the mistake he had made and there was the problem; you didn't have to live with the ones you made...

 _'Frisk...we all make mistakes, you shouldn't restart just because we make few. I didn't mean to hurt you.'_  Sans thought as he watched you approach Toriel's home. He looked up at the ceiling as you passed him once more, not noticing him in the shadows of the ruins.

The skeleton's eyes were filled with bitter sadness "Its not fair really..you making us forget..." "You remember who were are and what we are like, but we can't remember you.." Sans continues, thinking back how you met him in the woods. At first it had felt odd how well you two got along but when he had started to recall events from the past time lines, he had realized that you knew how to act with everyone and that way get everyone on your side.

"We don't want to forget you...we care about you." Sans whispered quietly, wondering if he even knew the real you. Were you being true to yourself, or did you merely act they way that monsters liked the most?.

 _'Do you even want us to know the real you?_ ' he pondered whether you feared to act yourself around them anymore.

He sighed and looked away, he should have killed that flower.

* * *

Soon you find yourself in front of Toriel's small home, gently knocking on the on the front door before opening it and stepping inside, only to be greeted by the lovely scent of cinnamon and butterscotch pie that instantly makes you feel better and calmer.

"Frisk? We were waiting for you, did you lose the track of time while playing?" You hear Toriel's happy voice and soon enough you see her walking from the living room to greet you, smiling when you show her the flowers you had gathered.

"Why child, these are beautiful! I'll put them into water right away so that they don't wilt." Toriel says as she takes the flowers from you, letting you keep the knife. You put the small blade into a sheath to make sure it wouldn't get too rusty before pocketing it. You had taken up whittling as a hobby, trying to make small figurines resembling the monsters you had met, despite Sans' objections of you getting a knife.

_'I know Sans wants to protect me, isn't that enough of a reason to fully trust him?'_

He meant a lot to you. The skeleton was your first friend in the underground world and someone who had protected you from the very beginning, wishing that you'd make it out safely.

Toriel smiles at you and takes your hand gently. She was like a mother figure to you, but you couldn't fully accept her as a mom. She was a teacher and a dear friend, but that's all she was. Perhaps in time you would accept her as a mother but for now, you wanted to stay with Papyrus and Sans.

"Come, we have other visitors as well. I'll bring the cinnamon pie along with some tea for you two." The white furred goat murmurs as you two step into the living room. Sans was sitting there at the table with the usual grin on his face..

You smile at short skeleton who had done his all to make you feel happy and welcomed. In an instant you forget everything Flowey had said to you.

Sans looked after you and had your back, like a brother or a father. You weren't exactly sure what he was to you, but you knew that you loved him and Papyrus from the bottom of your heart. Seeing Sans sitting there, having the usual playful grin on his face filled your heart with determination and you knew that things were going to be ok. Everyone has nightmares and night terrors. Some just act more strongly to them.

Sans had been a bit odd from the moment you had met him and you were sure he could teleport even if he didn't admit it. There was more to the skeleton than what he let you know, and it was ok, after all, they didn't know everything about you either. Like how you could restart the world and travel through time. Everyone had secrets and sides they didn't want others to know about.

"Hey kiddo, I've got a place for you here." The skeleton tells you and pats a seat next to him and you quickly move to him with a smile.

Soon enough Toriel brings a a steaming pie that smells absolutely delicious along with a pot of tea.

"I'm glad that you find the ruins entertaining, Frisk...sometimes I wish you'd stay here with me." The goat lady murmurs and pats your head a bit as she pours you a cup and cuts a slice of pie for you. "I could show you all the bugs and plants out there. Every day could be a field day you know."

Sans just smirks, closing his other eye "Toriel, is this just your plot to keep your students imprisoned so that they have to be in school 24/7?" The skeleton teases Toriel who blushes and laughs all embarrassed and amused.

"Oh you caught me...my horrible plan to control Frisk's education with iron grip has come to light." Toriel giggles and you can't help but laugh, almost spilling the hot tea onto your hands as you laugh with the two.

"Toriel, maybe you should move to the snowdin village? You'd be closer to us there?. You ask hopefully, wishing that all your friends lived close by. And..and if something happened again, you could go to Toriel's home for the night. Yeah, that sounded nice.

Sans glances at you and you are sure he can see your disappointed expression when Toriel just chuckles sadly.

"I wish I could child, but someone has to watch over the ruins." She replies and sips her tea only to add some sugar into it.

You look at your now empty plate and smile sadly "Yeah. Makes sense." No matter how you try to hide your saddened expression, Sans can see right through you. You are absolutely sure that he knows what is going through your mind, but he didn't seem disappointed or angry with you. He looked understanding, clearly accepting the weight of his mistakes.

You felt happier, knowing that Sans understood your needs.

Eventually the clock nears the evening and you start to feel tired. Sans walks over to you in the living room and scratches the back of his head a bit nervously

"So kiddo, its pretty late, maybe we should head back home." He says gently and looks relieved when you smile happily at him and nod.

"You are always welcomed here, Frisk." Toriel says and gives you a hug before the two of you headed for the door in the basement, ready to head back into the snowdin village. Outside, Sans offers you his hand and you take it. The undead creature's hand feels cold to you but oddly enough it still feels comforting.

Some things had really changed between you two, but it didn't mean that everything was ruined. You didn't need to restart, just time.

You hesitate for a moment as Sans starts walking through the the snowy area, stopping when you don't follow him,

"Whats up, kiddo?" He asks with a grin on his face, but you can hear the worry in his tone. You just smile at the short skeleton, rushing to him and giving Sans a tight hug. The blue jacketed undead is all surprised, his eyes slightly widened, but he soon just grins and ruffles your hair, hugging you back.

"What's this about, kid?"

"Just a thanks for understanding and looking after me."


End file.
